Lost emails during "compacting"
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From: Learner on 23 Jun 2008 21:02 I am using OE 6.00.290.2180 (xpsp_sp2_rtm.040803-2158). Recently, having been prompted to "compact" I did so and at the end of the process I lost a period of four months emails (from Feb to June). It kept my last few days emails. Why did this happen (has never happened before in nearly 8 years of using OE) and how to avoid it happening again? Thanks
From: Bruce Hagen on 23 Jun 2008 21:08 The two most common reasons for what you describe is disruption of the compacting process, (never touch anything until it's finished), or bloated folders. More on that below. Why does OE insist on compacting folders when I close it?: http://www.insideoe.com/faqs/why.htm#compact Why Mail Disappears: http://www.insideoe.com/problems/bugs.htm#mailgone About File Corruption: http://www.microsoft.com/windows/IE/community/columns/filecorruption.mspx Recovery tools: If you are running XP/SP2, oe SP3, and are fully patched, then you should have a backup of your dbx files in the Recycle Bin, (or possibly the message store), copied as bak files. To restore a bak folder to the message store folder, first find the location of the Message Store. Tools | Options | Maintenance | Store Folder will reveal the location of your Outlook Express files. Write the location down and navigate to it in Windows Explorer or, copy and paste it into Start | Run. In WinXP, the .dbx files are by default marked as hidden. To view these files in Explorer, you must enable Show Hidden Files and Folders under Start | Control Panel | Folder Options | View. Close OE and then in Windows Explorer, click on the dbx file for the missing, or empty, folder and drag it to the Desktop. It can be deleted later once you have successfully restored the bak file. Minimize the Message Store. Open OE and, if the folder is missing, create a folder with the *exact* same name as the bak file you want to restore but without the .bak. Eg: If the file is Saved.bak, the new folder should be named Saved. Open the new folder and then close OE. If the folder is there, but just empty, continue on to the next step. First, check if there is a bak file already in the message store. If there is, and you removed the dbx file, go ahead and rename it to dbx. If it isn't already in the message store, open the Recycle bin and right click on the bak file for the folder in question and click Restore. Open the message store back up and change the file extension from .bak to .dbx. Close the message store and open OE. The messages should now be back in the folder. If the messages are successfully restored, you can go ahead and delete the old dbx file that you moved to the Desktop. If you do not have bak copies of your dbx files in the Recycle Bin, then: DBXpress run in Extract From Disk Mode is the best chance to recover messages: http://www.oehelp.com/DBXpress/Default.aspx And see: http://www.oehelp.com/OETips.aspx#4 A general warning to help avoid this in the future: Do not archive mail in default OE folders. They will eventually become corrupted. Create your own user defined folders for storing mail and move your mail to them. Empty Deleted Items folder regularly. Keep user created folders under 100MB, and Default folders as empty as is feasible. Turn off e-mail scanning in your anti-virus program. It is a redundant layer of protection that eats up CPUs, slows down sending and receiving, and causes a multitude of problems such as time-outs, account setting changes and has even been responsible for lose of messages. Your up-to-date A/V program will continue to protect you sufficiently. For more, see: http://www.oehelp.com/OETips.aspx#3 And backup often. Backup and Restore: http://www.insideoutlookexpress.com/backup/ And this good one click backup program. Outlook Express Quick Backup (OEQB): http://www.oehelp.com/OEBackup/Default.aspx -- Bruce Hagen MS-MVP Outlook Express Imperial Beach, CA "Learner" <lvr181(a)hotmail.com> wrote in message news:%23RoOmXZ1IHA.4164(a)TK2MSFTNGP03.phx.gbl... >I am using OE 6.00.290.2180 (xpsp_sp2_rtm.040803-2158). > > > > Recently, having been prompted to "compact" I did so and at the end of the > process I lost a period of four months emails (from Feb to June). It kept > my last few days emails. > > > > Why did this happen (has never happened before in nearly 8 years of using > OE) and how to avoid it happening again? > > > > Thanks > > > >
From: PA Bear [MS MVP] on 23 Jun 2008 21:53 Why it happens: http://insideoe.tomsterdam.com/problems/bugs.htm#mailgone http://www.microsoft.com/windows/IE/community/columns/filecorruption.mspx Recovering the missing data: http://www.oehelp.com/OETips.aspx (#2 and #4) and http://support.microsoft.com/?kbid=918069 (Notes section under Resolution) ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ DBXpress (faster, more powerful, with even greater functionality) http://www.oehelp.com/DBXpress/Default.aspx ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Avoiding Such Corruption in Future: - Don't use Inbox or Sent Items to archive messages. Move them to local folders created for this purpose. - Empty Deleted Items folder daily. - Disable Background Compacting [not available in SP2] and frequently perform a manual compact of all OE folders while "working offline". More at http://www.insideoe.com/files/maintain.htm - WinXP SP2 only: Do not shut down your machine while Windows is automatically compacting your message store. - Disable email scanning by your anti-virus application. It can cause corruption (i.e., loss of messages), it provides no additional protection, and even Symantec says it's not necessary: <QP> Disabling Email Scanning does not leave you unprotected against viruses that are distributed as email attachments. Norton AntiVirus Auto-Protect scans incoming files as they are saved to your hard drive, including email and email attachments. Email Scanning is just another layer on top of this. To make sure that Auto-Protect is providing the maximum protection, keep Auto-Protect enabled and run LiveUpdate regularly to ensure that you have the most recent virus definitions. </QP> http://service1.symantec.com/SUPPORT/nav.nsf/docid/2002111812533106 => TIP: When composing an email or newsgroup post in Word, only use ENTER (once) to begin a new paragraph. To begin a new line, use Shift+ENTER (once). -- ~Robear Dyer (PA Bear) MS MVP-IE, Mail, Security, Windows Desktop Experience - since 2002 AumHa VSOP & Admin http://aumha.net DTS-L http://dts-l.net/ Learner wrote: > I am using OE 6.00.290.2180 (xpsp_sp2_rtm.040803-2158). > > > > Recently, having been prompted to "compact" I did so and at the end of the > process I lost a period of four months emails (from Feb to June). It kept > my > last few days emails. > > > > Why did this happen (has never happened before in nearly 8 years of using > OE) and how to avoid it happening again? > > > > Thanks
From: Learner on 23 Jun 2008 21:59 Thanks Bruce. I did not intentionally interrupt the compacting process, perhaps the folder 'bloat" was to blame. I generally run a back up of my emails and save to a separate disk but thought that I would do that after the "compacting" in order to save some space. Then, because I had other items in the Recycle Bin I emptied it! Wrong! Damn..... Thanks for all the advice - best I run a leaner, cleaner OE and be more careful in the future. :-) "Bruce Hagen" <Nospam(a)mymail.invalid> wrote in message news:%23Xk%23AbZ1IHA.3884(a)TK2MSFTNGP05.phx.gbl... > The two most common reasons for what you describe is disruption of the > compacting process, (never touch anything until it's finished), or bloated > folders. More on that below. > > Why does OE insist on compacting folders when I close it?: > http://www.insideoe.com/faqs/why.htm#compact > > Why Mail Disappears: > http://www.insideoe.com/problems/bugs.htm#mailgone > > About File Corruption: > http://www.microsoft.com/windows/IE/community/columns/filecorruption.mspx > > Recovery tools: > > If you are running XP/SP2, oe SP3, and are fully patched, then you should > have a backup of your dbx files in the Recycle Bin, (or possibly the > message store), copied as bak files. > > To restore a bak folder to the message store folder, first find the > location of the Message Store. > > Tools | Options | Maintenance | Store Folder will reveal the location of > your Outlook Express files. Write the location down and navigate to it in > Windows Explorer or, copy and paste it into Start | Run. > > In WinXP, the .dbx files are by default marked as hidden. To view these > files in Explorer, you must enable Show Hidden Files and Folders under > Start | Control Panel | Folder Options | View. > > Close OE and then in Windows Explorer, click on the dbx file for the > missing, or empty, folder and drag it to the Desktop. It can be deleted > later once you have successfully restored the bak file. Minimize the > Message Store. > > Open OE and, if the folder is missing, create a folder with the *exact* > same name as the bak file you want to restore but without the .bak. Eg: If > the file is Saved.bak, the new folder should be named Saved. Open the new > folder and then close OE. If the folder is there, but just empty, continue > on to the next step. > > First, check if there is a bak file already in the message store. If there > is, and you removed the dbx file, go ahead and rename it to dbx. > > If it isn't already in the message store, open the Recycle bin and right > click on the bak file for the folder in question and click Restore. Open > the message store back up and change the file extension from .bak to .dbx. > Close the message store and open OE. The messages should now be back in > the folder. > > If the messages are successfully restored, you can go ahead and delete the > old dbx file that you moved to the Desktop. > > If you do not have bak copies of your dbx files in the Recycle Bin, then: > > DBXpress run in Extract From Disk Mode is the best chance to recover > messages: > http://www.oehelp.com/DBXpress/Default.aspx > > And see: > http://www.oehelp.com/OETips.aspx#4 > > A general warning to help avoid this in the future: > > Do not archive mail in default OE folders. They will eventually become > corrupted. Create your own user defined folders for storing mail and move > your mail to them. Empty Deleted Items folder regularly. Keep user created > folders under 100MB, and Default folders as empty as is feasible. > > Turn off e-mail scanning in your anti-virus program. It is a redundant > layer of protection that eats up CPUs, slows down sending and receiving, > and causes a multitude of problems such as time-outs, account setting > changes and has even been responsible for lose of messages. Your > up-to-date A/V program will continue to protect you sufficiently. For > more, see: > http://www.oehelp.com/OETips.aspx#3 > > And backup often. > > Backup and Restore: > > http://www.insideoutlookexpress.com/backup/ > > And this good one click backup program. > > Outlook Express Quick Backup (OEQB): > > http://www.oehelp.com/OEBackup/Default.aspx > -- > Bruce Hagen > MS-MVP Outlook Express > Imperial Beach, CA > > > "Learner" <lvr181(a)hotmail.com> wrote in message > news:%23RoOmXZ1IHA.4164(a)TK2MSFTNGP03.phx.gbl... >>I am using OE 6.00.290.2180 (xpsp_sp2_rtm.040803-2158). >> >> >> >> Recently, having been prompted to "compact" I did so and at the end of >> the process I lost a period of four months emails (from Feb to June). It >> kept my last few days emails. >> >> >> >> Why did this happen (has never happened before in nearly 8 years of using >> OE) and how to avoid it happening again? >> >> >> >> Thanks >> >> >> >> >
From: PDXmom on 14 Jul 2008 18:29
Bruce, I had a month of messages disappear from my inbox when OE compacted on 7/10/08. I got assistance from my internet provider (a Comcast tech support guy) this morning. He basically had me do everything you describe in your 6/23 memo for retrieving lost messages. We were sucessful in finding the inbox.bak folder in the recycle bin and we got the messages for 6/11-7/10 restored back into my OE Inbox. HOWEVER, the past three days of messgaes in my inbox were no longer there (7/11-7/14). I didn't realize this until I had hung up the phone from the Comcast tech support. Unfortunately, I didn't get his name. I have called back and spoke to three different tech people, the last of whom referred me to the Microsoft website. That's where I found your 6/23 memo. I think the 3 days of messages were somehow overwritten in the restore process, but am hoping they're sitting in a folder on my computer. Do you have any ideas as where they might be and how to retrieve them? Thanks! "Bruce Hagen" wrote: > The two most common reasons for what you describe is disruption of the > compacting process, (never touch anything until it's finished), or bloated > folders. More on that below. > > Why does OE insist on compacting folders when I close it?: > http://www.insideoe.com/faqs/why.htm#compact > > Why Mail Disappears: > http://www.insideoe.com/problems/bugs.htm#mailgone > > About File Corruption: > http://www.microsoft.com/windows/IE/community/columns/filecorruption.mspx > > Recovery tools: > > If you are running XP/SP2, oe SP3, and are fully patched, then you should > have a backup of your dbx files in the Recycle Bin, (or possibly the message > store), copied as bak files. > > To restore a bak folder to the message store folder, first find the location > of the Message Store. > > Tools | Options | Maintenance | Store Folder will reveal the location of > your Outlook Express files. Write the location down and navigate to it in > Windows Explorer or, copy and paste it into Start | Run. > > In WinXP, the .dbx files are by default marked as hidden. To view these > files in Explorer, you must enable Show Hidden Files and Folders under Start > | Control Panel | Folder Options | View. > > Close OE and then in Windows Explorer, click on the dbx file for the > missing, or empty, folder and drag it to the Desktop. It can be deleted > later once you have successfully restored the bak file. Minimize the Message > Store. > > Open OE and, if the folder is missing, create a folder with the *exact* same > name as the bak file you want to restore but without the .bak. Eg: If the > file is Saved.bak, the new folder should be named Saved. Open the new folder > and then close OE. If the folder is there, but just empty, continue on to > the next step. > > First, check if there is a bak file already in the message store. If there > is, and you removed the dbx file, go ahead and rename it to dbx. > > If it isn't already in the message store, open the Recycle bin and right > click on the bak file for the folder in question and click Restore. Open the > message store back up and change the file extension from .bak to .dbx. Close > the message store and open OE. The messages should now be back in the > folder. > > If the messages are successfully restored, you can go ahead and delete the > old dbx file that you moved to the Desktop. > > If you do not have bak copies of your dbx files in the Recycle Bin, then: > > DBXpress run in Extract From Disk Mode is the best chance to recover > messages: > http://www.oehelp.com/DBXpress/Default.aspx > > And see: > http://www.oehelp.com/OETips.aspx#4 > > A general warning to help avoid this in the future: > > Do not archive mail in default OE folders. They will eventually become > corrupted. Create your own user defined folders for storing mail and move > your mail to them. Empty Deleted Items folder regularly. Keep user created > folders under 100MB, and Default folders as empty as is feasible. > > Turn off e-mail scanning in your anti-virus program. It is a redundant layer > of protection that eats up CPUs, slows down sending and receiving, and > causes a multitude of problems such as time-outs, account setting changes > and has even been responsible for lose of messages. Your up-to-date A/V > program will continue to protect you sufficiently. For more, see: > http://www.oehelp.com/OETips.aspx#3 > > And backup often. > > Backup and Restore: > > http://www.insideoutlookexpress.com/backup/ > > And this good one click backup program. > > Outlook Express Quick Backup (OEQB): > > http://www.oehelp.com/OEBackup/Default.aspx > -- > Bruce Hagen > MS-MVP Outlook Express > Imperial Beach, CA > > > "Learner" <lvr181(a)hotmail.com> wrote in message > news:%23RoOmXZ1IHA.4164(a)TK2MSFTNGP03.phx.gbl... > >I am using OE 6.00.290.2180 (xpsp_sp2_rtm.040803-2158). > > > > > > > > Recently, having been prompted to "compact" I did so and at the end of the > > process I lost a period of four months emails (from Feb to June). It kept > > my last few days emails. > > > > > > > > Why did this happen (has never happened before in nearly 8 years of using > > OE) and how to avoid it happening again? > > > > > > > > Thanks > > > > > > > > > > |